Applying for position in different field (file, apply, claim, work)

[Magnolia Bloom]

In 2008 I switched careers after two agencies that I worked for started eliminating positions and shifting the responsibilities to existing staff. It was the right move at the right time, as both agencies have continued to eliminate positions. I obtained a license in a field that I have long loved and was hired the day after I passed the licensing exam. That company went out of business (after 60 years!), but I was hired by another company right away. I worked there for seven months before my position was eliminated. During my time there, seven others were let go and I just found out that five more have been laid off since then.

I can't even find jobs to apply for and have been sending out resumes and cover letters to companies cold and have expanded my search statewide, but after four months of being unemployed I need to take any job that I can get. I'm fine with that. Anything that gets me up and out of the house and earns more than unemployment would be a blessing.

My question is- it is obvious from my resume what my profession is. Why would an employer in a different field hire me, knowing that it isn't where I would want to be for any length of time? It seems to me that they would hire someone with less skills that is trainable and would have more potential longevity with the company.

How have others handled this in cover letters? In interviews? Does the interviewer ask why someone would want to work at the job when their license is in another? I was thinking that I would tell them that even though it is not in my field, if hired, I would commit to a year. That way they wouldn't have to worry that I would be leaving as soon as the real thing came along. I don't think that I would be able to lie and say that I have long had the career goal of barista or widget maker. But I could honestly say that I would be a positive, enthusiastic employee.

I can dumb down my resume up to my last two jobs, but the last two are pretty specific, so I am stuck. Help! I need some ideas!

[kodaka]

It can be really hard to reorganize a resume to de-emphasize your primary profession, at least to a degree that an employer will accept.

Try organizing your resume by job function, for starters. For example, most jobs have a significant amount of either administrative, organization, or customer service functions. So organize your resume by that:

Administrative professional: 2008-current
Description of administrative duties such as typing, word processing, note-taking, conference call coordination, schedule coordination, file maintenance, and office equipment operation including fax, copier, scanner, telephones, and AV equipment, blah blah blah.
•Employer 1
•Employer 2

Customer Service professional: 2000-2008.
Description of responsibilities that involved satisfying clients or customers by providing and exceeding their expectations, developing lasting relationships and ensuring return and repeat business, and resolving conflict and troubleshooting, blah blah blah.
•Employer 1
•Employer 2
•Employer 3

Remember, no matter what job you are applying for, you should only include information on your resume that is relevant to the position. If the license you got is irrelevant, don't include it. If your education is irrelevant, don't include it.

In your case I think you also have the challenge that you have had two jobs in two years, if I'm understanding you correctly. I understand that is entirely not your fault. And I'm in the same boat. I didn't switch careers, but I did switch jobs. I left a job that I had been at for several years, voluntarily, to seek a better opportunity, and then got laid off 11 months after I was hired. I too got another job right away, but I was laid off 8 months after I was hired. I avoid the shortness of these jobs by only listing years on my resume. I.e., Employer 1, 2000-2004; Employer 2, 2004-2007; Employer 3: 2007-2008; Employer 4: 2008-2009.

This avoids some of the red flags that an employer might see otherwise. I've made sure the graphic design of my resume also has 'clean lines' so that an employer might presume I am merely simplifying the dates for graphic reasons (and I work in a visual field, so this is a positive assumption). But I know and understand that some employers will still think I am an unreliable employee and will either not interview me or not hire me because of this history.

It's just an unfortunate circumstance that I have to deal with, and you will too (as will many others).

For you, since your license and that work experience is the most recent, you might want to consider just leaving that off your resume entirely. You might just say that since 2008 you have been a stay-at-home parent, or engaging in a period of self-study, for example. Being out of work for a while is better, in the eyes of some employers, than job-hopping.

[diorgirl]

Originally Posted by kodaka

For you, since your license and that work experience is the most recent, you might want to consider just leaving that off your resume entirely. You might just say that since 2008 you have been a stay-at-home parent, or engaging in a period of self-study, for example. Being out of work for a while is better, in the eyes of some employers, than job-hopping.

You may choose to omit things from a resume, but under no circumstances should you lie about what you were doing over that period of time.

If you are later asked to complete an application that requests ALL employment over a period of time -- and you sign that application verifying your statements -- your application to the company can be barred, and if you are employed, you can then be terminated for misrepresenting your work history.

Your actual work history can also emerge in unexpected ways. For example, through medical coverage -- when you file a new claim with a new insurer, they can check prior coverage which can reveal a different employer if the coverage was through the job you failed to mention.

As tempting as it might be, lying in these situations rarely pays off in the end.

[Magnolia Bloom]

Kodaka- you have made some good points. I am going to omit the months, leaving only the years.

Agree with Diorgirl that it is critical not to lie on a resume. Or even dumb it down in ways that may, upon further discussion, appear to be misleading.

I was so down in the dumps when I made this thread. It's just so discouraging. I do very well in interviews, so I am going to play to my strengths. Instead of cold-calling via mail, I am going to do walk-ins. Even if that particular business does not have anything, the person I speak with knows people who know people. Or they could need a temp the next day. Who knows.

Also, I just heard on TV that there is a speed dating-like job fair at a downtown club this week. Two minutes per employer. Now, I'm mid fifties and this club is for....younger folks, so I am REALLY gonna have to psych myself to go. But I figure that if I can be self-confident in that environment, I can do anything. Besides, my age will make me more memorable to the recruiters

What are cougar job-seekers called? LOL

[annerk]

The key is to determine the skills you have that would be transferable to another field and emphasize them.

Very basic example, a waitress wants to get a job in sales. She would emphasize the upselling that servers do (getting the customer to buy a more expensive wine or even fries with that burger), the customer service aspect, and how she has learned to make an upset customer happy and retain them as a customer.